Lighting unit



R. A. REID LIGHTING UNIT Dec. 19, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 11, 1948 m1 1 m rd m 0 e fi w eA. .m h H mm a R m m M w Q F i atenteci Dec. 19, 1950 LIGHTING UNIT Ralph A. Reid, Beverly, Mass., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application May 11, 1948, Serial No. 26,260

Claims.

My invention relates to lighting units, and more particularl to signal lamps of the type comprising a lamp and reflector assembly pivotally mounted within a housing, the housing having a door provided with a door glass or lens. Such signal lamps are commonly used in traffic signal systems, and the like.

It is a general object of my invention to provide a new and improved signal lamp of the foregoing type which is simple and inexpensive in structure, and easily assembled and serviced.

It is a further object of my invention to provide, in a lamp of the foregoing type, an assembly composed of a minimum number of parts and which is substantially shock-proof and dustproof.

It is a still further and specific object of my invention to provide, in a lighting unit door glass or lens assembly, an integral mounting and closure gasket which, though simple and inexpensive in structure and assembly, is effective and durable in service.

In carrying out my invention in one form, I provide a housing having an opening in one side thereof, the housing being provided with a hinged door having a door glass or lens mounted therein. The lens is set into an internal peripheral recess around the door glass opening, and is provided at its edge with an integral mounting and closure gasket. My improved gasket comprises a U-shaped portion embracing the edge of the lens, and a hollow air-core closure portion overlying the inner periphery of the lens and joined to the U-shaped mounting portion by a common intermediate wall. The reflector assembly comprises a conoidal reflector, a rigid rim member and a lamp socket, the reflector being clamped between the rim and lamp base. The reflector assembly is pivotally mounted within the housing by means of a pair of radially projecting lugs on the reflector rim. These lugs are hinged on a pair of pivot pins which are fixed in the housing on a mounting of limited resilience and along an axis substantially in the plane of the open side of the housing. Resilient latch means are provided for normally retaining the reflector assembly in position with the reflector rim substantially in the plane of the open side of the housing, so that when the housing door is closed, the lens gasket seats against the reflector rim.

My invention itself will be better understood and its various objects and advantages further appreciated by referring now to the following detailed specification taken in conjunction with 2 the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is perspective view of a signal lamp embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same lamp with the door removed and showing the reflector assembly swung partially out of the housing; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional top view of the housing showing the reflector assembly in its normal position and the door closed; Fig. 4 is a cross sectional top view showing the door open and the reflector assembly swungout of the housing; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the housing door illustratingthe lens-mounting arrangement; and Fig. 6 is a front elevational View of the resilient and integral reflector hinging and latching member.

Referring now to the drawing, the signal lamp, shown by way of illustration of one embodiment of my invention, comprises a housing I provided with an opening in one side thereof, and a door 2 hinged to the housing at 3 and 4 and arranged to close and seal the open side of the housing. To seal the door opening, a gasket l a, preferably of woven cotton wicking or the like, is fixed 'ina peripheral channel at the open side of the housing, the edge of the door 2 seating against the gasket la when the door is closed. The door gasket la is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, but is omitted in Figs. 1 and 2 in the interest of clarity of illustration. The door 2 is provided with a central lens opening 2a (Fig. 5), and the housing I is provided with inlet openings lb. The door and housing are provided, on the side opposite the door hinges, with a door lock comprising a pair of latch jaws 5 on the door, and a bolt 6 swingably mounted on the housing and carrying a wing nut 6a. The housing I and door 2 may be formed of any suitable material, but preferably are die-cast aluminum.

As clearly shown at Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the door 2 is internally recessed at 1 around the periphery of the lens opening 2a. A lens 8 is set into the recess 1 and sealed in position by a gasket 9. The gasket 9 is preferably formed of natural or artificial rubber, or the like, and comprises a mounting portion 9a of U-shaped cross section moulded integrally with a closure portion 9b of hollow tubular configuration, the mounting and closure portions of the gasket having a common intermediate wall 90. The gasket 9 is mounted upon the lens with the U-shaped mounting portion embracing the edge of the lens, so thatthe hollow tubular portion 9?) overlies the inner periphery of the lens. The recess 1 serves primarily to locate the lens in the door, but is preferably somewhat deeper than the width of the mounting portion 9a of the gasket 9. The tubular or closure gasket portion 912 is crowned on the side facing the housing I, and the purpose of the hollow crown portion will be more fully described hereinafter.

It will, of course, be understood by those skilled in the art that the door glass 8 may be flat or curved,..plain or rippled, clear or colored, and may or may not be provided with refracting prisms. In using the term lens throughout this specification and the appended claims, I intend to cover any of the foregoing types of glassware.

Adjacent the lens recess 1, the door 2 is provided with four shallow recesses Hi to accommodate clamping clips II. The clips ll are flat metal strips clamped to the door, as by screws l2. The ends of the clips H protrude through apertures in the outer peripheral Wall of the gasket portion 9b andenter the hollow interior of the gasket in overlapping clamping relation with the lens- 8, therebyto-hold thelens*in.-p1ace in'the door-withoutinterfering with the crowned inner sui'face-of thegasket portion 91).

"-Within th housing l, there.is pivotally mounted -a reflector assembly: 2. This assembly is mounted for swinging movement into and out of the hous- -.in g 1 for repair, access to terminal boards, and 'the like. The reflectorassembly tZcomprises a conoidal=-reflector 13 havinga base portion accommodating a lamp socket .14, and having an open mouthfittingiinto a rigid annular rim memeberJS. "While my invention isnot limitedto any particular form of reflector, the reflector t3 itself-maysuitably be silveredglass or the like. As best shownat Figs. 2 and '3, the lamp socket M, which is preferably-formed of a moulded plastic insulating material, fits'into .an-aperture in the base-of the reflector 43 and is provided with an annular flange [4a overlying the back of .the reflector. The joint between .the lamp socket M .and'the reflector l dis-sealed against theentrance viof-moistureand dust by an-annular ring gasket llb formed of moisture-proofed paper, or the "like.

The reflector rim :l5-.is L-shaped in crosssection,-asshown atE'ig."3, and.-fits over a channelshaped'compressible asket i'Bof-natural or artificial rubber :which embraces the open mouth of zinc reflector -I 3. The front wall of the rim memsber l5=is ridged to makeatight-seal when seated against 'the air-core gasket portion :91) on the :door. The rim I5 :is provided around its pe- -riphery-with four angularilugs 2H, l8, l9 and '20, each =-lug having an axially urearwardly extending =-portion provided with .anaperture .to accommodate the ends ofa pair of clamping wires or bails 12L The bails 2| are each hooked at their ends into one pair of the lugs Uri-8, 19, and "2D, the center portion of reach bail being seatedin one of a pair of slots 22 in the rear surface of the lamp [4. The bails 25 thus serve-as clamps to hold the reflectorassembly together.

The 'rim-lugs L! and I8 are each provided with relatively long =radially extending portions .serv- {ing as pivot arms for the reflector assembly. l'hese pivot arms are 'rotatably mounted upon a pair of wire pivot pins 23 and 24. Each-pivot pin, 23 and 24, is formed integrally with one of -a-pair of combined hinging and latching mem- "bers -25 and 26. The -member 25 is shown in f-rontview at Fig.6.

=The members 25 and 26 are formed of stiff wire andare complementary in-shape. Thewires 25-and -26 are each provided intermediate their ends-witha pair of loops 25a 'and26a, respectively, the loops of each pair lying in the same plane to provide for bolting of the wires to the housing I. One end of each wire extends in cantilever fashion from its point of attachment to the housing and is turned over at the tip to form the pivot pins 23 and 2G. The other end of each Wire extends generally circumferentially of the reflector rim [5 and is coiled over at the end, as at 25b and 26b, to form a spring latch and stop arranged for engagement with the rim lugs l9 and 20, respectively. The pivot pins 23 and 24 engage the rim lugs i and 13, respectively, along a pivotal axis substantially in the plane of the open side of the housing I The oppositely extending ends of the hinging and latching wires 25 and 26, which serve as pivotalsupports and latching stops, respectively, for the reflector assembly l2, act also as cantilever shock arms of limited resilience. Both the pivot extensions and the latch extensions of the wires '25.and.26;are rigid relativeito the airscore gasket portion =9b, but .are sufficiently resilient -to protect the reflector assembly 12 froinsevere the reflectorrim l-fisubstantiallyinatheplane of .the open side of the :housing, and the reflector is so-positioned thatgtheirim l5 seatsagainst the air-core gasket section 91). jDuegtovthe relative rigidity of the rhinging and ,latching .-W i 'e s 25 and .28, the reflector assembly ;remai ns fixedgin position,andvthe air corelgasket 9b :Comhressed when the door :2 -is;closed. fIhe;cro-\vnedshape of the air core gasket 9b ensures complete-sealing .againstd'lhe reflector-rim 15. -When the ,door is opened, as atzliigsa l and ,4, the reflectorassembly i Zmay-be unlatched and, swungoutwardhl, as at Figs. :2 and .4, to facilita, te installationand repair. :Because of the complete gasketing of both the reflector assembly and ,the -hou sing, my signal lamp is substantially dust-rtight,light-tight,

andmoisture-proof. ,Thisef ectivedust seal prevents convection currents of air, which o ther- -wise would cause :the deposi :Q flirt .110 2t reflector. Moreover,',the ;reflector hinging and l chin m m r :25 and .426 whi e .SlIIl-DEJREX' -pensive, andreadilyassembled, provide an excellent shock smounting for relatively fragile glass While I :have described lonly :a preferred emiment -of my zinventipnzby-way :Q ust ation many modifications willoccur to :those skilled in -the art andi-I, therefore, wish;to have it [understood that 'I intend in the .appended claims .to :cover all such modifications as fall within :the true spiritand scope ofimy invention.

What I claim as=newrand1desire to secure zby Letters Patent of the United States TlSZ 11. A lighting unit comprising a reflector assembly having-anopen mouth defined by a rim portion, a I closure member including a door z-hav.- =ing a lens opening therein, a lens .mounted in said opening, -a resilient air-core .gasket overly.- ing the inner periphery of said lens in position to seat upon said rim-when .said door isclosed, and a pluralityof -clips=mounted upon said docreand piercing said gasket transversely tin overlapping clamping relation .with -.the..edge .of lens, thereby to hold said lens in place in said opening withoutinterfering with seating of said gasket against said rim.

2. .Ai-lighting unitrcomprising a reflector a,ssembly having 1 an ,open. mouth :defined by .a'grim portion, a closure member including a door having a lens opening therein, said door being internally recessed about the periphery of said opening, a lens seated in said recess, a resilient air-core gasket overlying the inner periphery of said lens in position to seat upon said rim when said door is closed, and a plurality of clips mounted upon said door and piercing said air-core gasket transversely in overlapping clamping relation with said lens, thereby to hold said lens in place in said door and to hold said gasket in place on said lens without interfering with seating of said gasket against said rim when said door is closed.

3. A lighting unit comprising a reflector assembly having an open mouth defined by a rim portion, a closure member including a door having a lens opening therein, said door being internally recessed about the periphery of said opening and having a plurality of shallow re- A cesses adjacent said peripheral recess, a lens mounted in said peripheral recess, an integral mounting and closure gasket interposed between said lens and said door in said peripheral recess, said gasket comprising a channel-shaped mounting portion embracing the edge of said lens and a hollow tubular closure portion overlying the inner periphery of said lens and having one wall common with said mounting portion,

said peripheral recess being deeper than the 1 Width of said channel-shaped gasket portion, and a plurality of clips mounted upon said door in said shallow recesses and extending in transverse piercing relation into said tubular gasket and into overlapping clamping relation with the edge of said lens, whereby said lugs hold said lens in place in said door without interfering with the seating of said gasket against said rim portion when said door is closed.

4. A signal lamp comprising a housing having an opening in one side thereof, a door having a lens opening therein and being hinged to said housing, a lens mounted in said door and having a resilient air-core gasket extending around its inner periphery, a plurality of clips attached to said door and piercing said air core gasket transversely in overlapping clamping relation with said lens, a reflector assembly having an open mouth defined by a rigid annular rim member, spring mounted pivot means rotatably supporting said rim member on an axis substantially in the plane of said opening thereby to permit swinging of said reflector assembly into and out of said housing, and spring mounted latch means for holding said rim member in a normal position substantially in said plane and in position to engage and depress said air-core gasket when said door is closed, said spring mounting means being rigid relative to said gasket but resiliently deformable under shock thereby to protect said reflector assembly against breakage by shock.

5. A signal lamp comprising a housing having an opening in one side thereof, a door having a lens opening therein and being hinged to said housing to close said opening, said door having a lens mounted therein and provided with a resilient air-core gasket around its inner periphery, a plurality of clips attached to said door and piercing said air core gasket transversely in overlapping clamping relation with said lens, a refiector assembly hinged in said housing and having an open mouth, defined by a rigid annular rim member, resiliently mounted pivot means rotatably supporting said rim member upon an axis substantially in the plane of said opening, and resilient latch means holding said rim memher in a normal position substantially in said plane and in position to engage said air-core gasket when said door is closed, said resilient pivot and latch means being sufiiciently rigid to compress said gasket upon closure of said door but resiliently deformable under shock, whereby when said door is closed said gasket seals against said rim member without appreciably deforming said pivot or latch means.

RALPH A. REID.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 483,948 Smart Oct. 4, 1892 1,385,699 Mayer July 29, 1921 2,265,693 Knight Dec. 9, 1941 2,417,443 Paul Mar. 18, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 474,755 Great Britain Nov. 25, 1937 

